15 May 2010

“Dual female vocals weren't heard much outside of folk circles and so the sound of Debbie and Ashley's close harmonies was bound to be memorable. However, the band were always a little tentative, seemingly a bit uncomfortable with themselves and each other, especially on stage. Their strong point will always be the direct, confessional lyrics which made a marvellous change from the bluster that other bands produced. In songs like Inertia and the gorgeous Backslide, simple guitar and drums, strong bass, floating melodies and emotional text combine perfectly.” No Night Sweats

Discovered this lovely band thanks to the Detailed Twang post back in the day, and since then, I've been wanting to hear more stuff by them. Recently, (thanks again for this, Camille!) I was lucky to know there are more Maestros and Dipsos songs floating around the internet. So, thought it would be nice to spread the word.

“You know me – there's nothing I like less than intolerant people, especially conservative Punks. Originally, every band sounded totally different. Nowadays it's been put into all these narrow parameters. A band picks a style, plays in nothing but that style, and puts the intelligent members of their audience to sleep. (…) in terms of independence and freedom quickly became such a formula and book of rules – how to dress, to sound, to act – it wasn't fun anymore. It was over and it was time to do something new.” Jello Biafra

“Most things needs criticism now and then, like most other subcultures in western society, punk has its own conformism which must be made fun of or even ridiculed if we are to be free individuals. Tons of kids with the right T-shirt or haircut doesn't mean much. Although it's fun to dress like your peers but differently from your parents. When I was in high school I was a hippy and dressed like others in my group. In the early 80's I still had long hair and punkers and new wavers will sneer at me. Now in the late 80's it's fashionable to have long hair again (in the punk world, not in mainstream society). I guess a lot of Bob’s lyrics were saying that we all look a certain way, but what's inside? What's your attitude? Punk and other rebellious movements have their silly sides and we attacked them.” Duff, Th’ Inbred [Read the full article here.]

“I thought bands who played straight-ahead Hardcore music missed the whole point. Playing Hardcore became like being in a Rockabilly band, aping a style that happened years ago. You're not creating anything original at all. The ritual became retarded.” King Koffee

Straight Edge glossary

“I had been listening to people sing about subjects as 'important' as scene unity, and beer drinking, and not drinking beer, and fighting each other, and friendship and vegetarianism. That shit made no sense to me. Why would I expend energy, time, and effort getting a band together to stand on a stage in front of 300 straight edge kids and say, 'This song is about straight edge' just to get a huge applause and a bunch of people jumping on stage to sing along? Nick and I wrote the lyrics and we wanted to have people read them and think. That's it, just think. Think about the shit going on around them. Think about the fact that all of this shit is happening and they 'Remain Sedate' because it is easier to just go see a band that tells them they are doing the right thing and everything will be okay.” Charles Maggio

9 May 2010

“Punk for me was the cracking open of form. At the Dresden Art School where I studied, the professors were preparing for re-tirement and didn't have a clue about what was going on in our lives. So it wasn't surprising that Ralf Kerbach and me cranked up the amplifier at his studio (that reeked of turpentine) one morning to experience what we demanded from life – a thrill!” Cornelia Schleime

“Our aim was to irritate and to drift off into a world no longer interested in understanding. We didn't want to be there for anyone – apart from ourselves. Each singer wrote their own lyrics – reflecting our lack of expectations in a bizarre and melancholic manner.” Cornelia Schleime

Cornelia Schleime (right), 1982. Mita Schamal

“When I look back on Punk, the images hit me like the blows of an axe – memories of pogo and the soles of my feet cut by glass. When I fell asleep with black feet I never realized the state I was in. I wore a gas mask on my head walking through Prenzlauer Berg – to promote my case to be allowed to leave.” Cornelia Schleime

“Life only existed for the moment – there was no future in the country that I was imprisoned in.“ Cornelia Schleime